Or there’s Norton, producing machines for global markets from a factory in the grounds of Donington Hall.

The Continental GT is powered by the 650 Twin

And there’s the new kid on the block, who is really a very old kid.

Royal Enfield, which traces its roots back to Victorian England, has once again raised its flag in the UK with a new £3.5 million UK technology centre to develop, engineer and test the next generation of the iconic brand’s motorcycles.

The new Royal Enfield UK Technology Centre in Bruntingthorpe, near Lutterworth, came on stream last year and is bristling with state-of-the-art technology and some of the country’s leading engineering brains.

They are focused on new products to spearhead Royal Enfield’s push for international growth.

The centre is next to the Bruntingthorpe test track, which is the largest privately-owned vehicle test track in the country.

It’s a Leicester-designed facility purpose-built by construction firm Stepnell, supported by a £1 million grant from the Regional Growth Fund.

It is the innovation hub and global headquarters for Royal Enfield’s product strategy, product development, industrial design, research, programme management and analysis.

Inside are cutting-edge equipment and modern workshop facilities staffed by highly qualified and experienced product designers and engineers.

It has more than 3,000 sq metres of workspace spread over two floors including a design studio, engine, electrics and chassis build shops, a spray shop, a model shop, a metalwork shop and part stores.

There’s also a futuristic engine test building which houses the latest dynamometers and emissions test equipment.

The new Royal Enfield Technology Centre at Bruntingthorpe

So why Leicestershire?

Royal Enfield’s head of product development Simon Warburton said: “The Midlands in general is exactly the right area in which to be based.

“Here is where we have the best chance of recruiting excellent engineers, since most of the UK’s automotive engineering businesses are in this area.

“For the same reason there is an excellent infrastructure of companies to support our operation for supplies, sub-contracting and consultancy.

“Bruntingthorpe’s proving ground in particular suits us as it gives us direct access to a test track and a secure and confidential environment.

“Plus it’s a nice part of the country for people to relocate to if they need to move.”

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Recruiting engineers of the right quality is something the industry as a whole has been struggling with and Royal Enfield is no exception, but so far they have managed to attract the right people. Simon said: “Most of our staff are designers or engineers, and by engineers I mean degree-qualified design engineers, so these are the skills we are mostly looking for.

“It has certainly been challenging to get the right people, but we’re managing so far.”

And if Royal Enfield’s global expansion plans come to fruition, that demand for engineering talent will increase.

Bullet 350 Twinspark

There are already 120 people working at the new centre, and that is expected to be pushing 150 by this time next year.

And it could grow even more if the company’s product plans continue to evolve.

Simon said: “We expect to grow significantly in the UK and the rest of Europe and some of our new products, most recently the new Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, are going to be key players in this growth.”

Royal Enfield races its roots back well over 100 years.

The first Royal Enfield was built in 1901, making it the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production in the world.

It built its reputation during both world wars, serving the armed forces in a variety of roles, from parachute-dropped rapid transport for airborne troops, to a sidecar-mounted Vickers machine-gun platform.

It played a part in the motorcycle racing scene in the 1950s and 1960s, and gained popularity in the United States – James Dean and Steve McQueen were among its film star enthusiasts. UK production ceased in 1967 but the bikes continued to be made under licence in India.

The business is now part of the Eicher Motors group, the truck business founded by Vikram Lal, father of current Royal Enfield boss Siddhartha Lal.

The company has built a strong brand in India.

Just 32,000 motorbikes were sold on the sub-continent in 2007.

Ten years later, that figure will be closer to 800,000, built at Royal Enfield’s factory in Chennai, Eastern India.

Now Royal Enfield has its sights on other world markets and already sells into 50 countries.

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It opened a North American headquarters in Milwaukee, the home of Harley Davidson, and will target the US market with its two most powerful models, just launched. It has dealerships in other growing markets, including the Middle East, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and Columbia.

Now the plan is to conquer the UK and Europe. Those markets will be looking for modern bikes which have performance and the latest technology.

And that’s where the UK Technology Centre comes in, developing a generation of machines for tomorrow’s bikers.

It’s a challenge that Simon Warburton relishes, and he admits he is in his dream job.

A mechanical engineer by profession, he has spent more than 20 years in the motorcycle industry.

His wife is also an engineer, working for Rolls-Royce in Derby.

Simon said: “I’ve been a motorcycle enthusiast since I was too young to remember and a rider since I was 10 years old.

“Establishing the UK Technology Centre and growing from just five of us in January 2015 in a small rented office in Leicester to our current numbers and facilities has been an extraordinary experience and one that I recognise I am extremely fortunate to have had.